Compressed gas filling method and system

ABSTRACT

A method of filling a storage vessel with a fuel gas at a fuel dispenser. In various embodiments, the method includes providing a fuel dispenser comprising a housing defining a fluid flow path therein, the fluid flow path operatively connected with a source of the fuel gas. The fuel dispenser includes a control valve disposed along the fluid flow path and a controller in operative electronic communication therewith. The method also includes actuating the control valve to provide a predetermined difference between the pressure of the fuel gas upstream of the control valve and the pressure of the fuel gas downstream of the control valve. The predetermined difference is selected such that the temperature of the fuel gas is reduced to a predetermined temperature after passing through the control valve. The method also includes dispensing the fuel gas into the storage vessel, the fuel gas having first mass flow rate.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 62/074,138, titled “Compressed Gas Filling Method and System,” filedNov. 3, 2014, which is hereby relied upon and incorporated herein byreference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to methods and systems fordispensing fuel gases, such as compressed natural gas (CNG), to astorage vessel on a vehicle. More specifically, embodiments of thepresent invention relate to systems and methods for ensuring that a fuelgas storage vessel is completely filled during dispensing, regardless ofambient temperature or the initial pressure of the storage vessel.

Those of skill in the art are familiar with dispensing systems forvehicles that are fueled by gas that is flowed into a cylinder orvessel, such as natural gas vehicles (NGVs). In general, NGV storagevessels are rated to be completely filled with gas under a givenpressure at a given temperature (e.g., 3600 psi at 70° F.). The IdealGas Law defines a direct relationship between the temperature andpressure of a gas being added into a fixed-volume storage vessel, andthus as the temperature of the gas increases, greater pressures arerequired to completely fill the vessel. As the gas inside the vesselcools, the pressure inside the vessel decreases.

Most filling systems are configured to terminate when the dispensermeasures a target pressure of the gas in the NGV storage vessel at whichit is expected that the vessel should be completely filled. In the past,the target pressure has been based on the pressure at which the storagevessel is rated to be completely filled at the measured ambienttemperature. In addition, as a safety measure, the filling system istypically configured to halt dispensing if the pressure in the vesselreaches a predetermined cutoff pressure. This cutoff pressure istypically greater than the target pressure but lower than the maximumpressure the vessel is designed to safely accommodate.

As is known, prior art dispensing systems for CNG, including those thatcompensate for differences in ambient temperature, often fail tocompletely fill, or “charge,” the vessels, especially at higher ambienttemperatures. In particular, during a “fast-fill” dispensing process(i.e., one that is typically designed to take fewer than five minutes),it is often the case that a pressure greater than the cutoff pressure isrequired to completely charge the NGV's storage vessel. As a result, thedispenser will terminate the filling process when the gas reaches thecutoff pressure, before the vessel is completely charged.

Those of skill in the art are familiar with a variety of prior artsystems which attempt to solve the problem described above. Examples ofsuch attempts include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,259,424; 5,641,005; 5,653,269;5,868,176; and 5,881,779, the disclosure of each of which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes.Unfortunately, however, prior art attempts have failed to solve thisproblem, and they cannot accurately determine when the storage vesselwill be completely filled to its rated capacity, yet not overfilled.

SUMMARY

The present invention recognizes and addresses various considerations ofprior art constructions and methods. According to one embodiment, thepresent invention provides a method of filling a storage vessel with afuel gas at a fuel dispenser. The method comprises the step of providinga fuel dispenser comprising a housing defining a fluid flow paththerein, the fluid flow path operatively connected with a source of thefuel gas and configured for fluid communication with the storage vessel.The fuel dispenser also comprises a control valve disposed along thefluid flow path and a controller in operative electronic communicationwith the control valve. The method also comprises actuating the controlvalve to provide a predetermined difference between the pressure of thefuel gas upstream of the control valve and the pressure of the fuel gasdownstream of the control valve. The predetermined difference isselected such that the temperature of the fuel gas is reduced to apredetermined temperature after passing through the control valve.Finally, the method comprises dispensing the fuel gas into the storagevessel, the fuel gas having first mass flow rate.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate the scope of the presentinvention and realize additional aspects thereof after reading thefollowing detailed description of preferred embodiments in associationwith the accompanying drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including thebest mode thereof directed to one skilled in the art, is set forth inthe specification, which makes reference to the appended drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a chart of the pressure required to fill a storage vessel to25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% as a function of the ambient temperature in aprior art CNG dispensing system.

FIG. 2 is a chart of the completeness of fill, expressed as a percentageof the compensated target pressure, as a function of the ambienttemperature in a prior art CNG dispensing system.

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a CNG dispensing systemaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic detail view of the storage system of the CNGdispensing system of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a schematic detail view of a CNG dispenser of the CNGdispensing system of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating steps of a method of filling astorage vessel with a fuel gas according to one embodiment of thepresent invention.

Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification anddrawings is intended to represent same or analogous features or elementsof the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to presently preferred embodimentsof the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation ofthe invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will beapparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variationscan be made in the present invention without departing from the scope orspirit thereof. For instance, features illustrated or described as partof one embodiment may be used on another embodiment to yield a stillfurther embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present inventioncovers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of thepresent disclosure including the appended claims and their equivalents.

Some embodiments of the present invention may be particularly suitablefor use in dispensing natural gas, such as with a CNG dispenser in aretail service station environment, and the below discussion willdescribe some preferred embodiments in that context. However, those ofskill in the art will understand that the present invention is not solimited. In fact, it is contemplated that embodiments of the presentinvention may be used with any compressible fluid medium having agaseous end-state and with fluid dispensing equipment (such as nozzlesand fluid dispensing hoses) associated with each such fluid medium. Forexample, embodiments of the present invention may also be used indispensing of liquid natural gas (LNG), hydrogen, butane, and propane,among other fuel gases. Further, embodiments of the present inventionmay be used with any type of storage vessel and with any type ofvehicle.

As noted above, prior art CNG dispensing systems often fail tocompletely charge a storage vessel. This underfilling is the result of anumber of complex fluid dynamic and thermodynamic processes. Primaryamong these is that, during fast-filling, the gas in the storage vesselis compressed (or rather, recompressed) at a rapid rate, which in turncauses increases in gas temperature. This contributes to the result thatpressures higher than those estimated based on ambient temperature (and,as explained below, in some cases higher than the dispenser cutoffpressure) are required to completely fill the vessel. In addition to theambient temperature and the heat of compression, other factors canaffect the ability of a dispenser to completely fill a vessel, includingthe initial vessel and supply gas pressures and the supply gastemperature. Further, hydraulic losses in the filling circuit, which maybe as much as or more than 200 psi, and other dynamic fill conditions atthe dispenser may reduce the maximum obtainable tank pressure. Moreover,if the mass flow rate of the fuel gas becomes too high, backpressurescan develop upstream of the fueling nozzle and trigger opening of asafety relief valve. Depending on the ambient temperature, initialpressure in the storage vessel, and various characteristics of thedispensing system, the storage vessels may be left underfilled by asmuch as 20%.

In this regard, FIG. 1 is a chart of the pressure required to fill astorage vessel to 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% as a function of the ambienttemperature. Horizontal lines on the chart (“Fill limits”) representexemplary pressures corresponding to the maximum capacity of a storagevessel (4500 psig), dispenser cutoff (4300 psig), and the pressureobtainable as a result of hydraulic losses (4100 psig). The line labeled“Fill Settled” on the chart represents the “settled” pressure, or thepressure inside the vessel when the temperature inside the vessel hascooled to the ambient temperature, at a given ambient temperature. Asshown, for example, at ambient temperatures above about 40° F., thedispensing system is prevented from applying the pressure required tocompletely fill the storage vessel.

FIG. 2 is a chart of the completeness of fill, expressed as a percentageof the compensated target pressure, as a function of the ambienttemperature. The chart includes lines representing the completeness offill for fills beginning with an empty storage vessel, with a quarterfilled storage vessel, with a half-filled storage vessel, and with athree-quarters-filled storage vessel. It will be appreciated from FIG. 2that a complete charge of a storage vessel is possible at higher ambienttemperatures (at least at those below about 90° F.) only where thefilling process starts with a storage vessel that is alreadythree-quarters filled. In contrast, where the filling process startswith a storage vessel that is empty, a complete charge is possible onlyat much lower ambient temperatures (e.g., up to approximately 40° F.).

Thus, prior art CNG dispensing systems have failed to adequately addressthe problem of underfilling of vehicle storage vessels. In contrast,embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods forensuring that a fuel gas storage vessel is completely filled duringdispensing, regardless of ambient temperature or the initial pressure ofthe storage vessel. As described in more detail below, some embodimentsmay employ a multi-stage process comprising, in one stage, using adispenser control valve to modulate the temperature of the dispensed gasand the temperature inside the vessel to compensate for the increase ingas temperature in the storage vessel as a result of compression.

Turning now to FIGS. 3-5, aspects of a CNG dispensing system inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention are describedbelow. FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a CNG dispensing system10. First, a CNG supply source 12 is in fluid communication with a dryer14. As those of skill in the art will appreciate, dryer 14 is preferablyoperative to remove water vapor from the CNG supply before it is storedor used. In one embodiment, dryer 14 may be analogous to the natural gasdryers offered by ANGI Energy Systems, Inc. of Janesville, Wis., theassignee of the present invention. In other embodiments, however, dryer14 may be any suitable dryer technology familiar to those of skill inthe art, including non-regenerating inlet dryers, regenerating inletdryers, and twin-tower fully automatic regenerating dryers, amongothers.

CNG leaving dryer 14 may flow along a fluid conduit 16 to one or morecompressors 18. In some embodiments, only a single compressor 18 may beprovided, but in other embodiments multiple compressors 18 may beprovided for additional capacity and/or redundancy, according to theneeds of a particular dispensing system. Those of skill in the art canselect suitable compressors 18 for use with embodiments of the presentinvention. In one embodiment, however, compressors 18 may preferably beanalogous to the reciprocating compressors offered by ANGI EnergySystems. After compression, the CNG may be delivered to a storage system22 and/or to one or more CNG dispensers 24, and ultimately to a storagevessel in a vehicle.

FIG. 4 is a schematic detail view of storage system 22. Those of skillin the art are familiar with storage systems for CNG dispensingapplications and can select an appropriate storage system for use withembodiments of the present invention. Moreover, storage system 22 maynot be provided in all embodiments. In one embodiment, however, storagesystem 22 may be analogous to the small or large vessel ASME storagesystems offered by ANGI Energy Systems. As shown, storage system 22 maybe a cascade storage system comprising low-, mid-, and high-bank storagevessels 26, 28, and 30 in operative fluid communication with a prioritypanel 32 that directs the CNG to storage system 22 or dispensers 24. Asuitable gas management system may be used to prioritize delivery of CNGas is well known.

In general, priority panel 32 may comprise a valve 34 that is in fluidcommunication with supply plenum 20 and controlled by a valve controller36. A first pressure transducer 38, which is in electronic communicationwith valve controller 36, is operative to measure the pressure upstreamof the hose of fuel dispenser 24. Valve controller 36 may thus causevalve 34 to open and close based on feedback from pressure transducer38. More particularly, valve controller 36 and valve 34 may function asa backpressure regulating system to keep a predetermined amount of gasflowing in supply plenum 20. Thus, valve controller 36 may cause valve34 to open an amount based on the extent to which the discharge fromcompressors 18 exceeds the demand from dispensers 24. When there is nodemand from dispensers 24, valve 34 may be completely opened to fillvessels 26, 28, 30. It will be appreciated that, in other embodiments,this function may be performed by a spring-loaded backpressure valve. Inthe illustrated embodiment, valve 34 may be sized for full turndown andto accommodate one half of the total flow rate from compressors 18 whenfully opened. In this regard, valve 34 may preferably be appropriatelysized for best back-pressure control and is able to turn down the flowwith the most precise control. Pressure transducer 38 may be configuredto measure pressures between 0 and 6000 psig. Depending on the demandfrom dispensers 34 and the stages of dispensing then ongoing, valvecontroller 36 may target pressures of between 4300 and 5000 psig atpressure transducer 38.

A second pressure transducer 40 may be provided as redundant totransducer 38. In particular, in some embodiments, if readings aredifferent between transducers 38, 40, a control algorithm may assumethat one of the transducers is broken and give a fault notification.Pressure transducer 40 may also be used in lead/lag logic forcontrolling compressors 18, for example to control when compressors 18should operate when there is no demand from dispensers 24.

FIG. 5 is a schematic detail view of a CNG dispenser 24 of CNGdispensing system 10. Certain components of dispenser 24, such asvalves, pressure transducers, temperature indicators, mass flow meters,dispensing hoses, and nozzles, may preferably be analogous tocorresponding components found in CNG dispensers familiar to those ofskill in the art, including those offered by ANGI Energy Systems. Thus,a detailed description of these components is not provided herein,except where the components differ in accordance with embodiments of thepresent invention.

Dispenser 24 preferably comprises a housing 42 in which a gas conduit 44extends. As shown, gas conduit 44 is in fluid communication with supplyplenum 20 at one end and a pressure-tight dispensing hose 46 at theother. Gas flowing from supply plenum 20 may enter dispenser 24 via agas inlet valve 45. Dispensing hose 46 may terminate in a conventionalCNG refueling nozzle, such as an NGV type 1 or type 2 nozzle, which mayhave a three-way valve 48. The nozzle may interface with a conventionalconnector on a vehicle to allow fluid communication between gas conduit44 and a storage vessel 50 of the vehicle.

In addition, dispenser 24 may comprise a proportional control valve 52disposed along gas conduit 44. Control valve 52, which may be a risingstem valve in some embodiments, is preferably under the control of acontroller 54. Controller 54 may be a driver or actuator for valve 52,and controller 54 is preferably in operative electronic communicationwith (and controlled by) a dispenser control system 55. Control system55 may be any suitable electronics with associated memory and softwareprograms running thereon whether referred to as a processor,microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, or the like. In oneembodiment, however, control system 55 is preferably comparable to themicroprocessor-based control systems for CNG dispensers offered by ANGIEnergy Systems, but modified in accordance with the present invention.The memory of control system 55 may be any suitable memory orcomputer-readable medium as long as it is capable of being accessed bythe controller, including random access memory (RAM), read-only memory(ROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), or electrically EPROM(EEPROM), CD-ROM, DVD, or other optical disk storage, solid-state drive(SSD), magnetic disc storage, including floppy or hard drives, any typeof suitable non-volatile memories, such as secure digital (SD), flashmemory, memory stick, or any other medium that may be used to carry orstore computer program code in the form of computer-executable programs,instructions, or data. Control system 55 may also include a portion ofmemory accessible only to control system 55. Control system 55preferably stores computer-executable instructions which may causecontrol system 55 to carry out the steps of a method of filling astorage vessel with a fuel gas described below.

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, controller 54is preferably operative to actuate valve 52 to modulate the temperatureof CNG flowing in gas conduit 44 and to control the pressure of CNGdownstream of valve 44, depending on the mode of operation of dispenser24. Controller 54 and control system 55 are preferably in electroniccommunication with a mass flow meter 56, which may output to controlsystem 55 information representative of the mass flow rate 58 and thetemperature 60 of CNG being dispensed. In some embodiments, flow meter56 may be a Coriolis mass flow meter, such as the Coriolis flow metersoffered by Micro Motion, Inc. of Boulder, Colo. Control system 55 ispreferably operative to determine the mass and volume of CNG dispensedbased on flow rate information received from flow meter 56.

Dispenser 24 may also comprise a pressure transducer 62 in electroniccommunication with controller 54 and control system 55 that is operativeto measure the pressure in conduit 44 and hose 46 downstream of massflow meter 56. Further, dispenser 24 may comprise a temperature sensor64, also in electronic communication with control system 55, that isoperative to measure the ambient temperature. Pressure transducer 62 andtemperature sensor 64 may respectively transmit informationrepresentative of their measured pressures and temperatures to controlsystem 55, which may use this information in control decisions asdescribed in more detail below. As those of skill in the art willappreciate, control system 55 may also be in electronic communicationwith other fuel dispensing equipment and components, such as solenoidvalves associated with low-, mid-, and hi-bank storage vessels 26, 28,and 30.

Dispenser 24 may additionally comprise a safety relief valve 66 in fluidcommunication with conduit 44. Relief valve 66 is preferably operativeto relieve excessive backpressure in conduit 44 and may, for example, beconfigured to open at pressures at or exceeding 4500 psig in someembodiments. Finally, a fast-acting, positive shutoff valve 68 and aone-way check valve 70 may be disposed along conduit 44 as shown.

In various embodiments, system 10 described above may be used todispense CNG to a vehicle and completely fill the vehicle's storagevessel, regardless of ambient temperature or initial vessel pressure. Ingeneral, embodiments of the present invention may comprise a multi-stagedispensing process. In a first stage, the process comprises obtaininginformation about (or “characterizing”) a vehicle that is to be refueledat a dispenser 24. This stage may include determining the mass of CNGalready in the storage vessel and determining the filling resistance. Asecond stage of the process comprises prescribing a “fueling profile,”including target values for fueling, and then dispensing CNG inaccordance with the fueling profile. Depending on the fueling profileprescribed, this second stage may involve filling the storage vesselwith a predetermined amount of CNG that has been cooled in accordancewith the fueling profile. In preferred embodiments, a control valvewithin the dispenser is used to reduce the temperature of the CNG priorto the CNG being introduced into the storage vessel. In a third stage,the process may complete filling of the storage vessel at the highestflow rate possible that does not cause the pressure of the CNG in thefuel dispensing hose or in the storage vessel to exceed a predeterminedlimit. This stage may involve filling without regard to the temperatureof the dispensed CNG. As described below, the process may vary dependingon the fueling profile prescribed, and the process may include fewer ormore steps in some embodiments.

In this regard, FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating steps of a method offilling a storage vessel with a fuel gas according to one embodiment ofthe present invention. FIG. 6 is explained in detail below as used withsystem 10 described in FIGS. 3-5 above, and thus in the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 6, the fuel gas is CNG. As explained above, however,those of skill in the art will appreciate that the method may be usedwith any compressible fluid medium having a gaseous end-state.Additionally, those of skill in the art will appreciate that, in variousembodiments, some steps of the method may be executed in a differentorder than the order described below without sacrificing benefits of thepresent invention.

At step 100, the process starts. At this point, a user may haveinitiated a fueling transaction. For example, the user may haveconnected a nozzle of a fuel dispenser 24 with a vehicle storage vesseland started the dispensing process, for example by obtainingauthorization for a transaction and pressing a “start” button on thedispenser. As those of skill in the art will appreciate, if dispenser 24is equipped to dispense fuel to more than one size of storage vessel,control system 55 of dispenser 24 may know the unfilled capacity of thestorage vessel based on the particular nozzle the user connects to hisor her vehicle.

At step 102, control system 55 of dispenser 24 may obtain the ambienttemperature and the initial (static) storage vessel pressure (“staticpressure”). For example, control system 55 may receive informationrepresentative of the ambient temperature from temperature indicator 64.Further, control system 55 may receive information representative of thepressure at pressure transducer 62. Assuming that the hose ispressurized from a previous fill and that the hose pressure hasequalized with the pressure inside the storage vessel, the pressure atpressure transducer 62 may be assumed to be the initial pressure insidethe storage vessel. It will be appreciated that, in some embodiments, itmay be necessary to re-pressurize the hose and allow the flow andpressure to settle before determining the initial storage vesselpressure. The values of the ambient temperature and initial storagevessel pressure may be stored in memory accessible to control system 55.

Control system 55 may then determine the mass of CNG that is needed tocompletely fill the vehicle storage vessel (step 104). Those of skill inthe art are familiar with methods for making this determination, and anysuch method may be used in embodiments of the present invention. Forexample, one such method is disclosed in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat.No. 5,653,269.

In general, control system 55 may determine the needed mass of CNG byfirst calculating the volume of storage vessel 50. Control system 55 mayopen the appropriate valve (e.g., a solenoid valve associated with lowbank storage vessel 26 in storage system 22) to allow a predeterminedmass of CNG to be dispensed into storage vessel 50. Control system 55may then close the valve and obtain the pressure measured at pressuretransducer 62, which will have risen from its previous value. The changein pressure between the initial pressure and the pressure measured aftera known mass of CNG has been dispensed may then be used to determine thevolume of the vehicle tank using the Ideal Gas Law, as is known.

Next, control system 55 may use the initial pressure of storage vessel50 and the ambient temperature (both determined above) to calculate thetemperature-compensated full tank pressure, for example with referenceto supercompressibility data stored in memory, as is also known. In someembodiments, an empirical factor to compensate for compression heatingmay be multiplied to the full tank pressure value, though this is notrequired. In any event, the full tank pressure may be calculated in amanner similar to that by which prior art dispensers calculate thecutoff pressure expected to correspond to a completely full storagevessel 50. Control system 55 may then use the values of theabove-calculated volume of vessel 50 and cutoff pressure as inputs intothe Ideal Gas Law, solved for mass, to determine the mass of CNG neededto fill vessel 50.

At step 106, control system 55 may determine the filling resistance. Thefilling resistance is representative of the hydraulic pressure losses inthe filling circuit, which as noted above may reduce the pressureobtainable at dispenser 24. The filling resistance also makes itdifficult for dispenser 24 to dynamically sense or estimate the pressurein vessel 50 during the fill cycle. As a result of this resistance, forexample, the pressure within the fuel dispensing hose may be dynamicallymuch greater than the actual (dynamic) pressure within vessel 50.

To determine the filling resistance in one embodiment, control system 55may open the appropriate valve (e.g., a solenoid valve associated withlow-bank storage vessel 26) to allow CNG to be dispensed. When the flowrate of CNG has peaked and is steady, control system 55 may record themaximum flow rate and the pressure at pressure transducer 62 (“dynamicpressure”). Control system 55 may cause the valve to close afterrecording these measurements. Also, after closing the valve, controlsystem 55 may again sample the pressure at pressure transducer 62 toobtain the pressure in storage vessel 50.

For subsonic flow conditions at the nozzle, the filling resistance iscalculated as follows: Filling resistance=(dynamic pressure−staticpressure)/maximum flowrate^2. Therefore, control system 55 may estimatethe pressure inside storage vessel 50 throughout the filling process byrearranging the previous equation as follows: static pressure=dynamicpressure−filling resistance*maximum flowrate^2.

In some embodiments, based on the above measurements and calculations,control system 55 may prescribe a fueling profile for the vehiclestorage vessel. The fueling profile may indicate, for example, the typeof compensation for ambient temperature and/or compression heating to beapplied during dispensing. For example, control system 55 may evaluateone or more of the ambient temperature, the initial pressure of storagevessel 50, the full tank pressure, and/or the filling resistance todetermine whether storage vessel 50 can be completely filled withoutadditional compensation for the heat of compression (step 108). In otherwords, depending on some or all of these factors, control system 55 maydetermine that standard temperature-compensation methods may be adequateto provide a complete fill of storage vessel 50. This may be the casewhere, for example, the ambient temperature is below a predeterminedtemperature and the initial pressure of vessel 50 is above apredetermined pressure. In some embodiments, control system 55 mayaccess a lookup table in memory comprising ambient temperatures, initialpressures, and/or other conditions for which complete filling ispossible with only temperature compensation. If it is determined that acomplete fill is possible without additional compensation, as shown inFIG. 6, the process proceeds to step 114, described below.

If, however, control system 55 determines that standard temperaturecompensation methods are inadequate to provide a complete fill, thefueling profile may indicate that additional compensation is necessary.In this case, system 10 is preferably operative to compensate forcompression heating by dispensing a predetermined amount of cooled CNGinto vessel 50. Thus, control system 55 may actuate control valve 52 tocool the CNG to a predetermined temperature (step 110) and may causedispensing of a predetermined amount of CNG at that temperature (step112). As described below, in various embodiments, the predeterminedtemperature and/or the predetermined mass may be calculated based onprevious measurements (e.g., of ambient temperature and initial vesselpressure) and specified in the fueling profile.

More particularly, based on the Ideal Gas Law, gas moving from a higherpressure to a lower pressure will have a reduction in temperature. Thus,in embodiments of the present invention, cooling of the CNG may beachieved by controller 54 actuating control valve 52 such that apressure differential is created across control valve 52 that issufficient to cause the desired cooling. In one exemplary embodiment,the pressure upstream of valve 52 may be 5000 psig, and the valve 52 maybe closed to a position that causes the pressure downstream of valve 52to be 1000 psig. In contrast to the prior art processes, whereintemperatures at the fuel dispenser nozzle could approach or exceed 120°F., during this stage temperatures at the nozzle may be approximately−20° F. in one embodiment. Control system 55 may then allow a continuousstream comprising a predetermined mass of CNG to be dispensed at thattemperature, or it may dispense the predetermined mass in several (e.g.,3-7) small bursts. When the CNG enters vessel 50 it may cool further dueto further expansion. In some embodiments, one or more intercoolingdevices may also be provided along conduit 44 and/or supply plenum 20,though this is not required in all embodiments.

The dispensed, cooled CNG will reduce the temperature inside vessel 50during this stage of dispensing, and this reduction in temperature willcompensate for increases in temperature of the gas inside vessel 50 dueto the heat of compression when the remainder of the CNG is dispensed.As the temperature of the CNG in vessel 50 falls, so will its pressure.Thus, embodiments of the present invention can dispense the entire massof CNG needed to fill storage vessel 50, regardless of ambienttemperature or initial vessel pressure, without having to fill storagevessel 50 to a pressure higher than dispenser 24's cutoff pressure.

Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the temperature to whichthe CNG is cooled and the predetermined mass of cooled CNG dispensed mayvary in embodiments of the present invention. In some embodiments, thefueling profile may comprise a particular mass of CNG to be dispensed ata preset, cooled temperature. In other embodiments, the fueling profilemay also comprise the temperature to which the gas should be cooled. Insome embodiments, for example, control system 55 may determine that itis necessary to create only a 500 psig pressure differential acrosscontrol valve 52, rather than a 4000 psig differential noted above. Thetemperature to which the CNG is cooled and the mass dispensed at thattemperature may vary depending on the ambient temperature, the initialpressure of vessel 50, the full tank pressure, and/or the fillingresistance. Information output from mass flow meter 56 may be used toverify that the CNG has been cooled to the desired temperature and thatthe desired mass is dispensed. Those skilled in the art may determine byexperimentation the temperatures to which the CNG should be cooled andthe mass dispensed at the cooled temperature to provide the desiredcompensation for compression heating at various ambient temperatures andinitial tank pressures. Further, the reduction in temperature achievedby the reduction in pressure may be determined by reference to thesupercompressibility tables for the gas involved.

In compensating for the heat of compression, the predetermined mass ofcooled CNG is dispensed at lower flow rates due to the pressuredifferential across control valve 52. Once this compensation has beenperformed, however, in embodiments of the invention the remaining massof CNG needed to completely fill storage vessel 50 is dispensed athigher flow rates. The temperature of the CNG dispensed at these higherflow rates will likewise be higher, but compression heating caused bydispensing of the remainder of CNG is offset by the lower temperature ofthe predetermined mass of CNG dispensed in the steps described above.

As explained previously, if the mass flow rate of the CNG becomes toohigh, backpressures can develop upstream of the fueling nozzle and causethe dispenser to shutoff prematurely, for example by triggering safetyrelief valve 66. Thus, the higher flow rate is preferably selected (and,if necessary, iteratively adjusted) to provide the highest flow ratethat does not cause the pressure measured at pressure transducer 62 toexceed a level that would cause dispenser 24 to shut off.

Accordingly, at step 114, the process comprises actuating control valve52 to adjust the allowable mass flow rate of CNG. As explained above,the dynamic pressure measured at transducer 62 depends on the mass flowrate, and thus adjusting the mass flow rate via valve 52 also adjuststhe pressure measured at transducer 62. (Also as noted above, if theadditional compensation described above with reference to steps 110 &112 is not required, the process may skip those steps and proceed withstep 114.) At step 116, the remaining CNG needed to fill storage vessel50 is dispensed.

More specifically, control system 55 may cause valve 52 to open anamount that allows a higher mass flow rate than the mass flow rate atthe previous stage of dispensing. In some embodiments, adjustments tothe position of valve 52 may be based on preset values stored in memory,and in other embodiments the adjustments may be calculated by controlsystem 55 based on the mass of CNG needed to fill vessel 50, the initialpressure of vessel 50, and/or the filling resistance. Control system 55may receive information regarding the mass flow rate 58 from mass flowmeter 56, as noted above.

At step 118, control system 55 may determine whether the pressuremeasured at transducer 62 exceeds a predetermined limit. If so, theprocess returns to step 114, whereby control system 55 may iterativelyadjust the position of valve 52 (and thus, the mass flow rate of CNG)based on feedback from pressure transducer 62 to maintain the pressurebelow the predetermined level. In some embodiments, the predeterminedpressure level may also be a preset value stored in memory. In otherembodiments, the predetermined pressure level may vary based on the massof CNG needed to fill vessel 50, the initial pressure of vessel 50, thefilling resistance, the settings of pressure relief valve 66, and/orother dispenser pressure limitations. In some embodiments, thepredetermined pressure level may be specified in the fueling profile. Inone embodiment, controller 52 may monitor the output of pressuretransducer 62 to keep the pressure below about 4200-4300 psig, forexample adjusting the position of valve 52 to reduce the mass flow rateif the pressure reaches or exceeds that value.

If the pressure measured at transducer 62 does not exceed thepredetermined limit, the process proceeds to step 120. Here, controlsystem 55 may determine whether vessel 50 has been completely filled. Inone embodiment, control system 55 may determine whether vessel 50 hasbeen completely filled based on information from mass flow meter 56indicative of the mass of CNG that has been dispensed. In anotherembodiment, control system 55 may determine that vessel 50 has beenfilled based on information from pressure transducer 62 that thepressure has reached the temperature-compensated cutoff pressure,calculated above. If vessel 50 is not completely filled, the process mayreturn to step 116. If vessel 50 is completely filled, the process ends(step 122).

It can thus be seen that embodiments of the present invention providenovel systems and methods for filling a storage vessel with natural gasand/or other compressible fluid media. By employing a dispenser controlvalve to reduce the temperature of fuel gas dispensed into a storagevessel, embodiments of the present invention may compensate for the heatof compression that occurs during fuel gas dispensing processes.Embodiments of the present invention may thus enable complete filling ofa vehicle storage vessel for fuel gas without regard to ambienttemperature or initial storage vessel pressure or fill level. While oneor more preferred embodiments of the invention have been describedabove, it should be understood that any and all equivalent realizationsof the present invention are included within the scope and spiritthereof. The embodiments depicted are presented by way of example onlyand are not intended as limitations upon the present invention. Thus, itshould be understood by those of ordinary skill in this art that thepresent invention is not limited to these embodiments sincemodifications can be made. Therefore, it is contemplated that any andall such embodiments are included in the present invention as may fallwithin the scope and spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of filling a storage vessel with a fuelgas at a fuel dispenser, the method comprising the steps of: providing afuel dispenser comprising: a housing defining a fluid flow path therein,the fluid flow path operatively connected with a source of the fuel gasand configured for fluid communication with the storage vessel; acontrol valve disposed along the fluid flow path; and a controller inoperative electronic communication with the control valve; actuating thecontrol valve to provide a predetermined difference between the pressureof the fuel gas upstream of the control valve and the pressure of thefuel gas downstream of the control valve; the predetermined differenceselected such that the temperature of the fuel gas is reduced to apredetermined temperature after passing through the control valve; anddispensing the fuel gas into the storage vessel, the fuel gas havingfirst mass flow rate.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel gas iscompressed natural gas (CNG).
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuelgas is hydrogen.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the stepof actuating the control valve to allow dispensing of the fuel gas at asecond mass flow rate that is higher than the first mass flow rate. 5.The method of claim 4, the fuel dispenser further comprising a pressuretransducer operative to measure the pressure of the fuel gas downstreamof the control valve.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second massflow rate is selected such that the pressure measured at the pressuretransducer does not exceed a predetermined level.
 7. The method of claim5, further comprising the step of adjusting the position of the controlvalve based on feedback from the pressure transducer.
 8. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the predetermined difference is based in part on theambient temperature at the storage vessel and the pressure of gas insidethe storage vessel prior to filling.
 9. The method of claim 1, whereinthe predetermined difference is about 4000 psig.
 10. A method of fillinga storage vessel with a fuel gas, the method comprising the steps of:providing a fuel dispenser comprising a fluid conduit operativelyconnectable with a source of the fuel gas and configured for fluidcommunication with the storage vessel, wherein a controlled valve isdisposed along the fluid conduit; actuating the controlled valve to afirst position; flowing the fuel gas through the controlled valve in thefirst position, wherein when the controlled valve is in the firstposition, the fuel gas has a first temperature upstream of thecontrolled valve, a second, lower temperature downstream of thecontrolled valve, and a first mass flow rate; dispensing a first mass ofthe fuel gas into the storage vessel when the controlled valve is in thefirst position; actuating the controlled valve to a second position;flowing the fuel gas through the controlled valve in the secondposition, wherein when the controlled valve is in the second position,the fuel gas has a second mass flow rate that is greater than the firstmass flow rate; and dispensing a second mass of the fuel gas into thestorage vessel when the controlled valve is in the second position. 11.The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of determining anunfilled capacity of the storage vessel.
 12. The method of claim 10,further comprising the step of receiving information representative offuel gas pressure from a pressure transducer disposed along the fluidconduit and information representative of fuel gas mass flow rate from amass flow meter disposed along the fluid conduit.
 13. The method ofclaim 12, further comprising the step of determining a fillingresistance based on the information representative of fuel gas pressureand the information representative of fuel gas mass flow rate.
 14. Themethod of claim 10, further comprising the step of determining whetherthe storage vessel can be completely filled without temperaturecompensation.
 15. The method of claim 10, wherein the fluid conduit isin fluid communication with a dispensing hose and a nozzle.
 16. Themethod of claim 15, wherein the temperature of the fuel gas at thestorage vessel is below about 0° F. when the controlled valve is in thefirst position.
 17. The method of claim 10, wherein the first mass ofdispensed fuel gas is dispensed in a plurality of bursts.
 18. A methodof controlling dispensing of fuel gas into a storage vessel at a fueldispenser, the fuel dispenser comprising a fluid conduit operativelyconnected between a source of the fuel gas and the storage vessel, thefuel dispenser further comprising a housing and a control systemdisposed within the housing, the method comprising the steps of:receiving at the control system information representative of theambient temperature at the storage vessel and information representativeof the pressure of gas in the storage vessel; determining an amount offuel gas needed to completely fill the storage vessel; enabling flow ofthe fuel gas along the fluid conduit; actuating a controlled valvedisposed along the fluid conduit to change the temperature of the fuelgas flowing in the fluid conduit; dispensing a first amount of the fuelgas into the storage vessel, the first amount of fuel gas having a firsttemperature; and dispensing a second amount of the fuel gas into thestorage vessel, the second amount of fuel gas having a secondtemperature that is higher than the first temperature.
 19. The method ofclaim 18, further comprising the step of determining atemperature-compensated pressure corresponding to the pressure of gas inthe storage vessel when it is completely filled.
 20. The method of claim18, wherein the first amount of fuel gas has a first mass flow rate andthe second amount of fuel gas has a second mass flow rate that is higherthan the first mass flow rate.